Vehicle trailer hitch assemblies having a tow bar tongue and trailer hitch ball are typically not removed after a trailer has been unhitched from the vehicle. Instead, the trailer hitch assembly remains physically in place at the lower rear end of the vehicle. The presence of the trailer hitch assembly presents an obstacle to a person's freely moving around the rear end of the vehicle as it extends rearwardly away from the vehicle a substantial distance therefrom (e.g., more or less about one foot). As may be appreciated, the obstacle presented by the trailer hitch assembly can injure a person (typically in the shin and/or knee regions) who is unaware of its presence. As such, providing the trailer hitch assembly with a cushioned protector is desirable.
Several proposals exist in the art for providing conventional trailer hitch assemblies with cushioned protection. One example of a prior art hitch protector is the HITCH HALO™ protector commercially available from Diversified Products Company of Stamford, Conn. which includes a flexible polymeric U-shaped element which laterally bounds the trailer hitch assembly and thereby creates a cushion zone therearound.
Another example of a prior art hitch protector is the HUSKY SHIN PROTECTOR™ commercially available from TJ Trailers of Salt Lake City, Utah which is a one-piece U-shaped flexible body member adapted to being positioned onto the upper surface of the tow bar tongue while the hitch ball is removed. An aperture is formed in the flexible body member to allow the hitch ball to then be reattached to the tow bar tongue. A series of vertical cushioning ribs extend laterally from the side of the flexible body member to provide the cushioned protection.
While the prior art hitch protectors described above do providing a measure of cushioning to a trailer hitch assembly, further improvements are still desirable. For example, it would especially be desirable if the entire protector could be positioned onto the tow bar tongue without disassembly of the hitch ball and yet provided increased measure of cushioning. It is towards providing such improvements that the present invention is directed.
Broadly, the present invention is embodied in trailer hitch protectors having a flexible body member sized and configured to be sleeved over a tow bar tongue associated with a trailer hitch assembly. Most preferably, the body member includes an opposed pair of generally U-shaped inner and outer lateral walls which are spaced apart from one another so as to define a cushion space therebetween and thereby provide cushioned protection laterally of the tow bar tongue when received within the body member. A series of spaced-apart flexible connecting webs extending between said inner and outer lateral walls within the cushion space may be provided so as to provide further cushioning effect.
In especially preferred embodiments, the flexible body member has an upper wall joined to both the inner and outer lateral walls, and has an aperture adapted to surround a hitch ball attached to the tow bar tongue of the trailer hitch assembly. The upper wall will thereby include a pair of opposed upper neck flanges which define therebetween a slit opening to allow access to said aperture therein.
Similarly, the flexible body member may include a lower wall joined to the inner lateral wall and spaced from the upper wall to define a generally U-shaped channel therewith. The U-shaped channel thus accommodates a rearward portion of the tow bar tongue of the trailer hitch assembly so as to allow the body member to be sleeved thereover. The lower wall most preferably has an aperture in opposed registry to the aperture formed in said upper wall. In such a manner, the hitch ball is installed on the tongue does not necessarily need to be removed, but could be removed if desired once the protector has been sleeved thereover (e.g., to allow a different size hitch ball to be installed).
These and other aspects and advantages will become more apparent after careful consideration is given to the following detailed description of the preferred exemplary embodiments thereof.